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Do You Know How to Engage the Power of Pause? It's Transformational!

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Mindfulness, Self-Leadership Skills.

“It's a transformative experience to simply pause instead of immediately filling up space.” ~ Pema Chodron

Shelly, a client, is a person of action. Her brain is constantly whirling, and she always has something to say, which often causes her to superficially listen to others. And while she gets a lot done personally, she tends to either micromanage or shift between projects so fast it makes her team scratch their heads wondering what’s going on. To bring more balance to her life, together we worked out that she needed to engage The Power Of Pause to be more mindfully aware and present, thereby keeping her team in step with her. As a result, now they’re working cohesively and are accomplishing the goals they’ve set for themselves.

Could you benefit from using The Power Of Pause more often? Well, if you feel stressed (Who doesn’t?) or have said or done something you regret, then the answer is “Yes!” I think we all feel better when we mindfully learn to use this superpower more often.

Being Present — The Daily Practice of SEEING the People in Your Life

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Mindfulness, Self-Leadership Skills.

“Hurrying and delaying are alike ways of trying to resist the present.” ~ Alan W. Watts

The world’s greatest resource is not its gold, silver, coffee or chocolate, despite what some people say. The world’s, or rather, OUR greatest resource is people. The people we’re joined to by family and romantic relationships. The ones we rub shoulders with at work. The people we meet from across the globe online. Even the countless people we don’t see, because we’re not being present, as we run daily errands.

Nothing has made this more apparent than the 6-foot-distancing COVID-19 mandate. Close contact means so much to us. Raise your hand if you’re missing hugs from friends and family or coffee dates with colleagues. I am! Without it, we’ve become stressed and depressed. Sadly some have even ended their lives in suicide, because they couldn’t handle it. Clearly, being self-aware of our need for social contact is only half of the equation to being happy.

The future of our planet requires a commitment to being present and truly seeing the people who cross our paths. Whether in business or social settings, the well-being of each person contributes to a sustainable and enjoyable life journey.

Impulse Management: Navigating Them Without Losing Track of Your Vision

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Self-Leadership Skills.

“People often fail to make lasting changes because they don’t commit to one path long enough to see results.” ~ MK Mueller

Impulse management? Really? You thrive on trying something new! You start one thing, then impulsively dart to another. Or you get distracted and second guess yourself, “Did I make the right choice?” From impulse buying to impulse eating, impulsive action takes a bad rap. But impulses are not bad. They are pieces of information. And if you listen carefully, they can tell you a great deal.

For example, you go down one career path and discover someone’s already doing it, so you feel there’s no place for you; because surely they do it better, since they were there first. Impulsively you jump to another career path. What does that impulse tell you? It’s very revealing, isn’t it?

Keeping My Commitment to Myself — Why Is It So Hard, but So Necessary?

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Self-Leadership Skills.

“Stay committed to your decisions but flexible in your approach.” ~ Tony Robbins

“Why is it so hard to keep my commitment to myself, when I always keep my commitments to others?” That’s what a client asked, and I assured her she’s not alone. I’ve been there myself. However, mindfully contemplating this very revealing question uncovered some deeply held beliefs and, as a result, opened up opportunities for major personal growth, improving her self-esteem and self-leadership skills.

Can you relate? You want to lose weight, but your family likes goodies, so you stock the cupboards with them in mind, knowing it’s going to make it harder on you. Or you want a regular exercise program, but your sister calls and wants to go shopping...oh, well, you can exercise later, right? But that doesn’t happen.

Here are some commitments to self we tend to make and break. What would you add to this list?

The Secret to Living a Fulfilling Life: Less is More When You...

Written by Maria Connolly. Posted in Life Skills.

“You have everything you need for complete peace and total happiness right now.” ~ Wayne W. Dyer

Is your idea of living a fulfilling life like Linda’s? As soon as Linda graduated from college, she set out to live life to the full. A 9 to 5 job wasn’t for her. She wanted to see and experience everything — rock climbing in Yosemite, spelunking in Belize, swimming with the dolphins, traveling El Camino de Santiago in Spain, visiting museums across Europe, eating exotic foods, immersing herself in the culture of each location.

Along the way she worked at a vineyard, in various kitchens, on a fishing boat and more. She was determined to cram her life full of experiences. Constantly on the move, she searched for a feeling of deep satisfaction with her life. Yet she was driven to try more intense activities to feel alive. The thought of staying in one place filled her with dread. In her quest, she focused on external sources for excitement, losing touch with her inner strength, peace and balance.

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Continually grow as a person and find your work/life balance

Do You Know How to Engage the Power of Pause? It's Transformational!

Being Present — The Daily Practice of SEEING the People in Your Life

Impulse Management: Navigating Them Without Losing Track of Your Vision

Keeping My Commitment to Myself — Why Is It So Hard, but So Necessary?

The Secret to Living a Fulfilling Life: Less is More When You...

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